The present invention relates to a play table, and in particular, to a play table for use with the elements of a modular building system.
Modular building systems have long been a popular play toy for children. Such systems generally consist of individual building elements having a variety of sizes and shapes which are designed to interconnect and interlock with one another to form a structure. Typically, the individual elements may be connected in a number of different orientations so that the structures which may be created thereby are limited only by the imagination of the child. The elements of one such modular building system are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,535.
One of the problems encountered with such systems is that a child will frequently attempt to assemble a structure which cannot support itself upright on a horizontal surface. Thus, those structures which are not supported beneath their center of gravity tend to topple over under their own weight. This limits the structures that a child may create when playing in a conventional setting, such as on a floor or table.
In addition, the quantity of individual elements utilized in such systems often creates a clean-up problem. As a child plays with such systems, the individual elements tend to become scattered about a large area. As is generally the case, it is difficult to get children to collect the elements and store them neatly for future use.
Thus, the need exists for a play surface which will support a structure during and after its assembly from the individual elements of a modular building system and thereby prevent it from toppling over. There is also a need for a convenient storage device which will facilitate the accumulation and storage of the individual elements of the modular building system.